16 
BULLETIN 527, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
27 inches wide. A box of the dimensions given above is just the 
right width for canton flannel once folded, allowing for shrinkage. 
For use, soak the cloth in water and place the half of the cloth, 
double thickness, which has been marked in squares, in the bottom 
of the germinating box. Place the kernels from ear No. 1, germ 
side up, in square No. 1, and so on, as already described. When 
all of the squares have been filled fold the other end of the cloth 
carefully over the kernels. If during the sampling the cloths have 
become dry, sprinkle them well with water. 
The principal advantage of this method is that it is almost impos- 
sible to injure the corn by the addition of too much water, as is 
frequently done where tests are made in sand or sawdust. 
Fig. 24.— Rag-doll seed tester. 
In making the box, follow directions (except with regard to dimen- 
sions) given for the box shown hi figure 22. One should have no 
difficulty in figuring the amount of material required, cutting the 
pieces into the proper lengths and assembling them. 
In figure 24 is shown what is known as the rag-doll tester. 1 This 
is one of the cheapest as well as most convenient and accurate 
methods of testing seed corn. It requires no box. 
To make this tester, secure sheeting of a good quality and tear into strips from 8 
to 10 inches wide and 3 to 5 feet long. Where these are to be used very much it is 
well to hem the edges, as otherwise the ravelings sometimes disarrange the kernels in 
unrolling. Each cloth should then be marked with a heavy pencil; first, lengthwise 
in the middle, and then crosswise, as shown in the accompanying illustration, making 
squares about 3 inches wide. Number the squares as shown in the illustration. 
Moisten one of these cloths and lay it out on a board of convenient size in front 
of the ears which are to be tested. Place kernels from each ear in squares numbered 
to correspond to number of ear. When the cloth has been filled, begin at the upper 
end wiili ears Nos. I and 2. etc.. and roll the cloth up. Since the cloth is moistened. 
'Thede eription and Illustration are based on Iowa Agricultural Experiment station Bulletin 135. 
